Ranging device and method of driving ranging device

Abstract

A ranging device includes a light receiving unit including a plurality of pixels that detects light including an irradiation light reflected by an object, a binning processing unit that converts signals of the plurality of pixels into signals of pixel blocks, an information generation unit that generates information in which each of the signals of the pixel blocks generated by the binning processing unit and a time from light emission to light detection are associated with each other, and a data transfer that transfers the plurality of signals from the light receiving unit to the binning processing unit. The data transfer unit sequentially transfers the plurality of signals received from the light receiving unit to the binning processing unit, and the binning processing unit sequentially converts the plurality of signals transferred from the data transfer unit into the signals of the pixel blocks.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A ranging device comprising:
 a light receiving unit including a plurality of pixels configured to detect light including an irradiation light from a light emitting unit reflected by an object in a measurement target region;   a binning processing unit configured to convert a plurality of signals output from the plurality of pixels into signals of pixel blocks each including a part of the plurality of pixels;   an information generation unit configured to generate information in which each of the signals of the pixel blocks generated by the binning processing unit and a time from light emission of the light emitting unit to light detection are associated with each other; and   a data transfer unit configured to transfer the plurality of signals from the light receiving unit to the binning processing unit,   wherein the data transfer unit is configured to sequentially transfer the plurality of signals received from the light receiving unit to the binning processing unit, and   wherein the binning processing unit is configured to sequentially convert the plurality of signals transferred from the data transfer unit into the signals of the pixel blocks.   
     
     
         2 . The ranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the data transfer unit includes a plurality of signal holding units configured to be connectable to the plurality of pixels, respectively. 
     
     
         3 . The ranging device according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of signals is transferred from the plurality of pixels to the plurality of signal holding units in parallel. 
     
     
         4 . The ranging device according to  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of signal holding units is configured to be connectable so as to form a shift register. 
     
     
         5 . The ranging device according to  claim 4 , wherein the shift register is configured to transfer each of the plurality of signals held in the plurality of signal holding units sequentially to the signal holding unit on a downstream side. 
     
     
         6 . The ranging device according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the plurality of pixels is arranged to form a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, and   wherein the plurality of signal holding units is divided into a plurality of groups each corresponding to the row or the column, and the shift register is configured for each of the plurality of groups.   
     
     
         7 . The ranging device according to  claim 6 , wherein the signal holding units corresponding to the row or the column are divided into two or more groups. 
     
     
         8 . The ranging device according to  claim 4 , wherein the binning processing unit is configured to receive the signals from a predetermined number of the signal holding units on a downstream side of the shift register in parallel. 
     
     
         9 . The ranging device according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the part of the plurality of pixels is arranged in two or more rows or columns, and   wherein the binning processing unit is configured to receive signals of the part of the plurality of pixels from the shift registers corresponding to the two or more rows or columns.   
     
     
         10 . The ranging device according to  claim 4 , wherein the shift register is configured sequentially input the signals to the binning processing unit from the signal holding units on a downstream side in response to a clock pulse. 
     
     
         11 . The ranging device according to  claim 10 , wherein the binning processing unit is configured to convert the signals input from the data transfer unit to the signals corresponding to the pixel blocks each time the clock pulse is input. 
     
     
         12 . The ranging device according to  claim 11 , wherein the binning processing unit is configured to generate a signal based on the signal input from the data transfer unit and the signal input from the data transfer unit in response to the clock pulse one clock period or more before. 
     
     
         13 . The ranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein a bit width of data processed by the binning processing unit is equal to or less than a bit width of data input to the binning processing unit. 
     
     
         14 . The ranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the information generation unit is configured to generate, for each of the pixel blocks, information indicating a relationship between a class determined according to a time from light emission of the light emitting unit to light detection by the light receiving unit and a frequency indicating the number of times the light is detected. 
     
     
         15 . A movable object comprising:
 the ranging device according to  claim 1 , and   a control device configured to control the movable object based on distance information acquired by the ranging device.   
     
     
         16 . A method of driving a ranging device including a light receiving unit including a plurality of pixels configured to detect light including an irradiation light from a light emitting unit reflected by an object in a measurement target region, a binning processing unit configured to convert a plurality of signals output from the plurality of pixels into signals of pixel blocks each including a part of the plurality of pixels, and an information generation unit configured to generate information in which each of the signals of the pixel blocks generated by the binning processing unit and a time from light emission of the light emitting unit to light detection are associated with each other, the method comprising:
 receiving the plurality of signals from the light receiving unit;   sequentially transferring the plurality of signals received from the light receiving unit to the binning processing unit; and   sequentially converting the plurality of signals to be transferred to the binning processing unit to the signals for each of the pixel blocks.